Guarding Gabi - Kathy Ivan

by Special Forces - Operation Alpha

  “Apparently Amir has a half-sister with a French mother.”

  “Are you thinking she’s somehow involved in this mess?”

  Dylan’s gaze met Rafe’s. “We’re not sure, but the more info we have at this point, the better. Can you check with Salem, find out what she knows about this woman?”

  “I can. I’m going to talk to her today. I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Rafe smiled before turning his attention toward the whiteboard. “Now, some of us have work to do. Talk to you later.”

  “I still think I should be there, not sitting here while you Neanderthals think you have to protect the helpless little womenfolk. Don’t forget who trained me, Mr. Sheriff.”

  Dylan watched Rafe’s shoulders shake with silent laughter. “Duly noted, cousin.”

  “I’ll call later, after I talk to Salem. Bye.”

  After disconnecting the call, Dylan sent a quick text to Carpenter, asking for any information about where every member of the Amir family was at the moment, and included Jennifer Baptiste in the message. Having Stefan digging into Amir’s half-sister made him relax a bit.

  “I still can’t believe Gabi roped my parents into helping hide Salem. And I can’t believe neither one of them mentioned it to me. I guess they forgot I’m the sheriff of this damned county, and it’s my job to protect people.” Rafe grabbed his coffee and took a long drink. “Wonder how they kept Dane out of the loop?”

  “Dane?” Dylan hadn’t heard his name mentioned before.

  “My brother. Handles the day-to-day running of the family spread. He lives in the foreman’s house on the property, but he’s in and out of the Big House all the time.”

  Dylan nodded. “Apparently your parents and Gabi are exceptionally gifted when it comes to keeping secrets. Even Gabi’s father and brothers didn’t know she was being harassed by Amir, not until a little over a week ago.”

  “The biggest problem I foresee is Amir has diplomatic immunity when he’s in the States. He travels on a diplomatic passport, so he obviously has ties to the U.A.E. government. Money and power go a long way in Middle Eastern countries, and if he’s here under their auspices, he’s practically untouchable.”

  Dylan’s gut clenched at the possibility. Even if they found Amir, officially they couldn’t touch the bugger, not unless they caught him in the act of doing something illegal. Even then, chances were he’d be deported with a slap on the wrist. That wouldn’t stop him coming after Salem and the child, again.

  “What’s to stop him from snatching the baby and taking it out of the country as soon as it’s born?” Dylan hated asking the question, but figured he needed to weight his options of what could be done legally. If he needed to bend the law to protect Gabi, Salem and her baby, well, he’d live with the consequences.

  “I asked Chance that very question.”

  “Chance?” Dylan quirked his brow, silently asking for more info.

  Rafe chuckled. “I forgot you’re not familiar with this branch of the Boudreau family. You can’t throw a stick in Shiloh Springs without hitting a Boudreau. There are twelve of us, eleven boys, and one girl. All of us were adopted by Douglas and Patti Boudreau, except for Veronica, or Nica as we call her. It’s a long story, and we can discuss it later over a beer. Chance is a lawyer, and a damned good one. He’s checking into the legalities of what we can do to legitimately stop Amir.”

  Dylan shook his head, staring at Rafe. “Twelve? I was an only kid. Military brat. I can’t imagine having so many brothers and sisters around.”

  “It has its moments. You’ll never find two better people on this earth with bigger hearts than Douglas and Patti Boudreau.” Rafe shuffled a stack of papers in front of him, then pulled out one, handing it to Dylan. “Here’s my brother’s information. He’ll call me when he knows more, but give him a call if you have any specific questions you think of we haven’t covered.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Not a whole lot more we can do here. Why don’t you head on back to the Big House and keep an eye on Gabi? And let me know if Salem needs anything. I’ll do a quick drive by the cabin this afternoon. I won’t go inside. She’s got enough stress to handle, but I’ll take a look around. Let’s keep to the schedule Gabi and my folks have set. It’s been working well so far, and any changes in the routine might alert somebody.”

  “Good idea. Give me a call if you think of anything else. I’m going to talk to Carpenter later, see if he’s come up with any further info on Amir.”

  “Keep me posted.”

  “Will do.”

  Dylan headed back toward the Boudreau’s home, anxious to see Gabi and make sure she was safe. Though he knew somebody would have called if anything happened, he’d feel better when she was by his side, and he could make sure nothing and nobody tried anything.

  Something had to give, and soon. The Navy SEAL training had made him skilled in combat, stealth, a weapon to be used to keep people free and safe. The SEAL knew what to do when confronted by the enemy. The man wanted to protect the woman he was starting to realize meant more to him than just a job.

  11

  Dylan smiled, watching Gabi snatch a carrot from Ms. Patti’s cutting board and pop it into her mouth. Ms. Patti made an absentminded swat in her general direction, and Gabi danced out of range, giggling. The sound was infectious, filled with a joy and exuberance Dylan envied.

  “Keep your fingers off my cutting board or you might lose one, young lady.” He heard the smile behind Ms. Patti’s scolding, along with the love. He wondered what it was like, living with the love and affection of a woman around. Something he’d never had, growing up raised by a strict ex-military father who’d instilled discipline and honor, but not much affection. His mother had been out of the picture when he was still in diapers.

  “But Aunt Patti, I’m starving!”

  “Hogwash. You ate lunch, same as the rest of us. I swear, sometimes I wonder if you’ve got a hollow leg.” She glanced at Dylan and grinned. “To listen to her, you’d think I never feed her. Honestly, when she visits, she out-eats my boys.”

  “Because you’re such a good cook, Aunt Patti.” Gabi’s hand shot forward and snitched a broccoli floret from the bowl overflowing with cut vegetables.

  “Stop that!” Ms. Patti snatched up the kitchen towel on the countertop and snapped it in Gabi’s direction with a loud pop. “Outta my kitchen, girl.” She made a shooing motion. “Dinner will be ready soon enough.”

  “Fine, fine, we’re going.” With a deft motion, Gabi snatched another carrot from the bowl, sprinting from the kitchen. “Thanks, Aunt Patti.”

  Dylan waved over his shoulder before following her to the front porch, joining her on the white-painted swing. With the slightest push of his foot against the deck he propelled the swing, the swaying movement oddly comforting. He shifted to face Gabi, his arm stretched along the top of the swing. The afternoon heat was relieved by the stirring breeze wafting across the porch.

  “You really like it here, don’t you?”

  She smiled, her gaze looking off into the distance. “Uh-huh. Whenever I visit, which is never often enough, I love it. You need to understand, I love my family. My dad and my brothers are amazing, and they love me to pieces. I love them, too. But growing up without a mother, I was surrounded by unending amounts of testosterone. You have no idea what it’s like to grow up with four big brothers who are all ex-military and a dad who’s practically a living legend in New Orleans.”

  “No, I was an only child.”

  “They did a wonderful job raising me, and I never regret a moment of it. But doing girly things wasn’t something that happened a lot around my house. Teenage boys aren’t really big on tea parties or playing with Barbie dolls—well, they did like to take Barbie’s clothes off.”

  Dylan chuckled. “I bet.”

  “Yeah, they were total buttheads, but they did their best. But when I visited here, Aunt Patti was like the mother I never had. She’s the one who let me
wear dresses, braided my hair, and taught me all the stuff only a woman can share with a young girl. This place is as much my home as New Orleans.”

  He continued the soft rocking motion of the swing, studying her while she talked. The way her face lit when she talked about spending time here emphasized how desperately she’d craved female attention. He understood. Growing up in a single parent household with only his father, there hadn’t been a lot of creature comforts or soft touches. A former military man, forced into an early retirement because of an injury, his father hadn’t been the easiest man to be around on his good days. On the bad ones—

  The ringing of his phone distracted him from his thoughts—not a bad thing—which accounted for him not looking at the caller ID. Something he always did, except this time.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, Mr. Roberts.”

  He frowned at the heavily accented voice. There was a decidedly British-education edge to it, and gut instinctive told him it was Amir on the other end of the line. But he needed to be sure.

  “Who is this?”

  He felt more than saw Gabi shift beside him, though he kept his focus on the caller.

  “Does it matter who I am, Mr. Roberts? I know who you are. I know you left New Orleans with Ms. Boudreau. Is she with you right now?” Dylan started to deny Amir’s statement, but the other man spoken again. “Don’t bother claiming you don’t know her. I know you left together. Though I haven’t figured out what your part is in our little game of cat and mouse. From what info I’ve been able to garner, you were never part of precious Gabi’s life until a few days ago.”

  “Your point, Amir?”

  The darkness of the man’s chuckle slithered across his skin like venom. “She’s gotten under your skin rather quickly, Mr. Roberts. Is your interest personal…or professional? The information I’ve gleaned reveals you have a rather impressive record, though you did have a couple of minor run-ins with law enforcement as a juvenile.” Dylan stiffened at the almost gleeful delight in Amir’s voice as he recited his procured facts. “Joined the military at eighteen, exemplary record. Progressed rapidly through the ranks. Became a Navy SEAL. Served three tours. Honorably discharged and relocated to Costa Rica.”

  “Yeah, it’s a nice country. You have a point, Amir?”

  “My point, Mr. Roberts, is simple. I need to know where Ms. Boudreau is. She has something that belongs to me.”

  Dylan wanted to snort at Amir’s word play. “Something? Or someone?”

  Amir chuckled again. “So, Ms. Boudreau confided in you. How amusing.” A long empty pause stretched out, nearly long enough for Dylan to think the connection had been broken. “Mr. Roberts, I can make it worth your while to aid me. Tell me where Gabriella Boudreau is right now. I know she left Louisiana, and my sources assure me it was with your cooperation. Apparently, your driving skills are impressive, since you lost the men I had tailing Ms. Boudreau. I’ll assume she’s hired you for your bodyguard expertise. How much? I can be an extremely generous man. Name your price.”

  “Amir, you haven’t got enough money. So, you can go…” His words broke off as a small feminine hand clamped across his lips, her head shaking frantically. He knew Gabi had been listening, Amir’s voice loud enough even without the speaker on. Taking her hand off his lips, she held it out for the phone. When he shook his head, she simple wiggled her fingers, her mouth set in a stubborn line. With a sigh, he handed it to her, but not before pushing the speaker button.

  “Hello, Tarik.” Dylan fought a shudder at the chilly tone in her voice. Damn, that was one cold reception.

  “Gabriella, you naughty girl. You left before we could meet face-to-face.”

  “I think we’ve said everything we have to say.”

  Amir tutted. “On the contrary, my dear, we are far from finished. Tell me, where are Salem and my son?”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Such language from a lady. Besides, I’ll make sure you’re there long before me, my dear. I’m only going to ask one more time. Where are Salem and my son?”

  “Someplace you’ll never find them, you bastard.”

  Dylan snatched the phone from Gabi’s hand. “We are done here, Amir. Leave Gabi the hell alone.” With a flick of his finger, he disconnected the call before prying off the back and removing the Sim card. Standing, he tossed the phone on the ground, and smashed it with the heel of his boot before doing the same to the Sim card.

  Gabi gasped. “Why’d you do that?”

  “Amir’s rich and probably has exceptional hackers on his payroll. We’d already been on the phone far too long. Since he had the number, he probably got a lock on the signal pinging the nearest tower. Won’t take them long to figure out the general vicinity where we’re at.”

  Gabi’s eyes widened at his words. “Dammit, he was playing me. Keeping me talking.”

  “Probably.”

  “We have to get Salem out of here. He could already be on his way.”

  Dylan took her hands between his, running his thumb across the soft skin. “Calm down. My guess is he’s in New Orleans. When he couldn’t find you, he did some digging into your brothers’ phone records.”

  She shook her head. “But I haven’t talked to any of them since we left New Orleans.”

  “I have. Think, Gabi. Amir didn’t call you; he called my cell phone. Since it’s a burner phone, the only way he could have gotten my number was through your brothers’ accounts.” He continued the soft motion against her hand, and heard the soft catch of her breath.

  “You’ve talked to my brothers?”

  He gave a nonchalant shrug. “I’ve talked to Ranger a couple of times since we’ve been here. Also talked to Carpenter once.” He met her shocked gaze. “They’re worried about you, and about Salem.”

  Gabi sighed. “I’ve done nothing but cause them grief since I came home from Europe. Maybe I should have stayed in Italy.”

  Dylan reached forward and smoothed a lock of hair over her shoulder, and slid his hand against the side of her neck, tilting her head up until her gaze met his. “If you’d stayed in Europe, then I’d never have had the chance to meet you.”

  “I…you’re right.” Her whispered response caused him to smile, which widened when he noted the rush of pink flooding her cheeks. His fingertips played lightly against the skin of her cheek, feeling the slight warmth there. It felt good to know he wasn’t alone in this attraction, this spark of awareness whenever Gabi was around.

  “Should we call somebody…maybe Samuel…and let him know Tarik might be in New Orleans?”

  His gaze never left her face, wanting to memorize every emotion, every nuance which made her unique. “Probably, though I’ll bet you he already knows. He’s got some pretty decent hackers of his own working this case.”

  Gabi’s grin was infectious. “Oh, yeah, Stefan’s better than anybody out there when it comes to computers. Tarik’s guys better watch their backs, or they’ll find their systems so full of viruses and malware, they won’t know what hit them.”

  “That’s what I thought. But I’m going to call Rafe, give him a head’s up, in case Amir or his men are already on their way here. Amir’s hackers won’t take long to triangulate the location, so we’d best be ready. Unless you think Salem is able to travel?”

  “Not a good idea. When I saw her earlier, she looked ready to pop, though she’s still got a few more weeks. Moving her has to be the last resort.”

  “Agreed.”

  The screen door slid open a few inches and Aunt Patti’s face appeared in the opening. “Dinner’s in ten minutes.”

  Dylan stood and held his hand out to Gabi. She looked at his for a few seconds, and he waited, hope and anticipation building inside. Emotions he hadn’t had in what felt like forever, foreign and alien, yet he stood frozen, unwilling to give in to the niggling doubt saying she couldn’t want him. That he wasn’t good enough and never would be.

  With a tentative smile, she slid her hand into his and stood.
r />   “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Being here. Helping me, even though I know it’s just a job—”

  “It’s more than just a job, Gabi. So are you.”

  “I’m glad.”

  When she started toward the door, he pulled her closer, turning her to face him. “When this is all over, and Salem and the baby are safe, you and I are going to have a long talk about this thing between us. And what we’re going to do about it. Got it?”

  “Got it.” When she smiled, he felt alive for the first time since Emily died. He could almost feel her inside his head, telling him it was okay for him to have a life. To live again—with Gabi.

  12

  Blackness permeated everything around her, making it nearly impossible to see more than a few inches before her. Sheets of rain pounded against the windshield, streams of water flying off with each swish of the wiper blades. Lightning flashes lit the darkness momentarily, and Gabi braced herself for the rumble of thunder she knew would surely follow. It didn’t matter how bad the weather, she needed to get to Salem.

  Fear had niggled at the back of her thoughts all afternoon, especially as the inclement weather approached Shiloh Springs. Massive storms weren’t unusual in Texas, and she’d seen her share before while visiting. But her anxiety ratcheted up higher and higher as the black clouds rolled in, obscuring the sky, and hadn’t alleviated as the afternoon seemed to crawl by.